CFP Board Announces November 2023 CFP® Certification Exam Results

CFP Board today announced the results of the November 2023 CFP® Certification Exam. The exam was administered during an October 31 to November 7 testing window to 3,386 candidates, with 4% of candidates testing remotely. The pass rate for the November exam was 64%. A total of 9,839 candidates took the exam in 2023, setting a new high for the number of CFP® exam-takers.

According to the November 2023 post-exam survey, the main reason exam-takers are pursuing CFP® certification is to demonstrate expertise in their job (78%), followed by to distinguish themselves as a fiduciary (66%). Of the exam-takers, 68% reported receiving some level of financial support from their employers during the CFP® certification process.

Registration for the CFP® exam showed that 70% of November candidates are under 40 years old and 37% are under 30 years old. The 10 states with the most exam-takers were California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Illinois, Arizona and Michigan, with 1,788 candidates from these states sitting for the exam.

Nearly 7 in 10 exam-takers who passed the CFP® exam (69%) have an undergraduate finance or finance-related degree (business, economics or accounting). In addition, exam-takers who passed also come from diverse academic backgrounds such as science, communications/marketing and engineering.

“In 2023, we saw the highest number of exam-takers ever, signaling a growing demand for CFP® certification,” said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. “Congratulations to all those who passed this rigorous exam. CFP® certification continues to be the standard for competent, ethical financial planning.”

Statistics from previous exams — including those from the November 2023 exam — are available on CFP Board’s exam statistics webpage.

March 2024 Exam

The CFP® exam is offered three times annually, in March, July and November. Registration for the March 2024 CFP® Certification Exam is now open. This exam will be administered from March 12 to March 19, 2024. The registration deadline is February 27, and the Education Verification deadline is February 20. Testing appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. We therefore encourage individuals to register for the exam at least 60 days in advance for the best date and site availability.

To begin the path to certification, CFP® certification candidates should create accounts on CFP.net. Here, they can access resources for all stages of their certification journey.